Dypsis lutea (Dypsis lutea)

Description

Clustering or solitary palm. STEM 2.5-3 m high, to 0.8 cm in diam., the distal internodes about 7 cm, blackish brown, covered in laciniate scales. LEAVES about 9 in the crown, entire; sheath 10-17 cm long, about 1 cm in diam., pale green, distally covered in dense red-brown laciniate scales when young, with or without triangular auricles to 3 mm long and laciniate; petiole absent or to 4.5 cm long, about 1.5 mm in diam., with brown laciniate scales mixed with silvery scales; blade obtriangular, 30-55 cm long, pale green, midrib/rachis 21-43 cm long, lobes 9-17 x 2.3-4.2 cm, main veins 7-17, scattered scales on the midrib and to a lesser extent on the veins, apices 5-15 mm wide and dentate, also dentate on the distal outside margins. INFLORESCENCE interfoliar, yellow to orange, branched to 1 or 2 orders, 33-77 cm long; peduncle 19-60 cm, 2.5-5 mm in diam., densely scaly but glabrescent; prophyll 14-37 cm long, 0.5-1 cm wide, borne at 2.5-9 cm above the base of the peduncle, split for the distal 2.5 cm, with scattered scales; peduncular bract deciduous or persistent, inserted at 12-27 from the base of the peduncle, 13-31.5 cm long, split in the distal 4 cm, with scattered scales; rachis 4-16 cm long, glabrous, without or with up to 5 branched, and 4-11 unbranched first order branches, the proximal of the branched ones with up to 4 rachillae; rachillae 4-17 cm, with dense triads and dark yellow flowers. STAMINATE FLOWERS with sepals 1-1.5 x 1-1.4 mm; petals 2.1-2.5 x 1.4-1.6 mm; stamens 6, equal or offset for up to 0.3 mm, filaments 0.8-1 mm long, 0.2-0.3 mm diam., cylindrical with slightly triangular base, anthers 1-1.5 x 0.7-0.8 mm, dorsifixed, versatile, the locules parallel and obtuse; pistillode 0.4-1.1 mm high, 0.3-0.4 mm diam. PISTILLATE FLOWERS with sepals 1-1.2 x 1.2-1.6 mm, ciliolate; petals 2.8-3 x 2.2-2.7 mm, ciliolate?; staminodes 6, 0.3-0.6 mm long; gynoecium 2.8-3 mm high, 1.6-2.7 mm in diam. FRUITS (young) oblong, incurved, attenuate towards an obtuse apex. (J. Dransfield and H. Beentje. 1995)/Palmweb. Editing by edric.